Coupling for socket wrenches



Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD M. PI'AUSEB, OIMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO BLAGKHAWK MANU- IACTURING COMPANY, OFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN OOUPLING FOB SOCKET WRENCHES I R S S U E DApplication filed August 24, 1929. Serial No. 888,201.

My invention refers to wrenches of the interchangeable socket type andparticularly to heavy-duty wrenches. Under ordinary conditions, theheavy-duty sockets,

when locked in connection with the wrench stem, are exceedin lydifiicult to disconnect by some manual re ease means.

My present invention, therefore, is particularly directed to a simple,effective and economical manually controlled lock and release mechanismfor the wrench-head proper, whereby the interchangeable heads arereadily attached or removed as the case may require.

With the above objects in view, the invention consists in certainpecularities of construction and combination of parts, as will be fullyset forth with reference to the accompanying drawing and subsequentingclaim.

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a wrenchequipped with a wrench-head or socket, embodying the features of myinvention, the socket head being in section, as indicated by line l1 ofFigure 2; and I Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section of the same, thesection being indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring by character to the drawing, 1 indicates an actuating bar and2 the stem of a wrench. The stem terminates with a reduced polygonalshank 3, the shank in this 5 particular instance being rectangular inform.

As best shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the squared shank 3 isprovided with axially aligned recesses 4-4. Loosely mounted in eachrecess is a locking plunger 5 which plunger is reduced intermediate ofits ends to form a shoulder 6, whereby said plunger is permanently heldwithin the recess by an upset at the mouth of the recess, which upsetforms a flange 7 for engagement with the shoulder. The outer end of theplunger normally projects beyond the face of the plunger for lockingpurposes, and the inner end of said plunger is cupped for the receptionof a coil spring 8, which spring is interposed between the base of theplunger cup and recess 4.

Fitted to the wrench shank is an interchangeable wrench-head 9, whichhead in this exemplification of my invention is of the socket kind. Thehead is of perfectly circular contour and it is formed with a reducedcircular neck 10, which neck is provided with a polygonal socket 11which corresponds in shape to the shank which, as previously stated, inthis instance is rectangular in cross section.-

The wrench-head neck is provided with a pair of circular openings 1212extending therethrough, which openings are disposed radially and at anangle of 90 degrees, as best shown in Figure 2. The inner ends of theopenlngs correspond in diameter to the plunger 5, one of which is alwaysin actual alignment with the plunger. These openings 12 for apredetermined distance are enlarged to receive collar portions 13 ofpush buttons 13, and said push buttons are thus loosely mounted andadapted to reciprocate back and forth in the openings, but arepermanently confined by downturned flanges 14, formed in the outer wallof the head neck. Hence, the movements of said plunger are limited inboth directions and, owing to the shouldered enlarged portions of theopenings 12, the inner ends of the buttons will at no time projectbeyond the face or faces of the female neck socket.

Hence, when the wrench shank enters the socketed neck, it is impossiblefor either plunger to abut the face of a button, until the plunger isaligned with the button opening. It will also be observed by referenceto Fig- 'ure 2 that when a plunger 5 is in locking engagement with thewrench-head, owing to the spring associated with the plunger 5, thealigned button will be forced out in such a position that the outer endof the button is extended beyond the outer wall of the neck. It willalso be observed that owing to the fact the head is of greater diameterthan the neck, the button is more or less protected to prevent injury toparties handling the wrench-head in a turning operation. This is dueparticularly to the fact that parties 2 aeeaeu guidin the wrench will,under all conditions,

grasp t e larger end of the head.

Attention is also directed to the fact that, owing to the peculiararrangement of the 5 pair of plungers with reference to the releasinbuttons, a coupling operation can be eficted without any attention toalignment between a plunger and a releasing button.

Furthermore, it will be observed from the foregoing description thatwhen it is desired to release a wrench-head, the operator simply pressesthe extended button whereby pressure is exerted upon its associatedplunger 5 to release it from the locking 0 enm 4 into which it waspreviously seate Briefly, it will be understood that in this device eachinterchan eable wrench-head carries one or more pus buttons forreleasing the blind lockin mechanism. Q

Wh1le I have shown and described one particular exemplification of myinvention in all of its details, it is understood that I may vary suchdetalls within the knowledge of the skilled mechanic and as interpretedby the language of the claim.

I claim:

In a tool connection, a shank of polygonal shape in cross section, amember havmg a socket similarly shaped for releasabl receiving theshank, a sprin -pressed atch plunger carried by the sha the member avinga keeper opening for receiving the latch plunger, said opening extendinentirely through the member and having 'ting shoulders adjacent to its 0posite ends, and a release button for the p unger latch slidably mountedin the opening having an annular enlargement intermediate its ends 1 forengaging the limiting shoulders at the 40 ends of its movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsln.

EDWARD M. PFAUSER.

